Anthem of Arcadia
by Xenonstar
Summary: AU. The established SAZ is jeopardized when conflict with Britannia rises again, amplified by the sudden intrusion of the Arcadian Empire and their prince’s hunt for a mythical substance known only in ancient legends. Lelouch x Kallen, with a plot added
1. Liberation

_**Author's Note:**__ I reserve the right to cease production of this story's chapters at any point, for any reason. You are free to nag me to churn out more, but such requests are likely to be met with empty promises that will ultimately go unfulfilled. Should I choose to forego completion of this project, I do hope you enjoy the portion I manage to compose._

--

"People of Japan!" came Euphemia li Britannia's voice over the loudspeakers within the massive open stadium. Idle chatter that could have been heard amongst those in attendance died down almost immediately. "We have finally reached an agreement!"

The declaration caused a stir within the full-capacity crowd. Did she really just address them as Japan? An agreement? Was Britannia actually going to go through with this Special Administrative Zone? The concept seemed almost too good to be true, after the years of discrimination and torment that the Empire had rained down upon them. The crowd looked on in surprise as their idol, their symbol of freedom, their beacon of hope, Zero, stood on the stage amongst Britannian royalty and high-ranking officers and diplomats. They knew, by his stillness, that he had no intention to disrupt what was about to take place.

Back at the Black Knights' headquarters, the spectacle was displayed on every television screen that was available. Every piece of furniture that could support human weight was occupied, the event drawing the attention of virtually every member present. The Japanese majority gazed in awe at their dream finally approaching realization, having gotten word from their leader about their long-awaited triumph.

"After discussing this matter with Zero, leader of the Black Knights, we have agreed to carry out the establishment of the Special Administrative Zone," Euphemia announced gleefully, drawing immediate cheers from her audience. "It is here that all Japanese will be treated as equals to Britannians, and shall be free from control of the Empire."

At that moment, the pink-haired princess was handed a rolled-up parchment, which she unraveled on the podium before her. As the crowd continued to noisily cheer and chant her name, Euphie presented the document to the public, for all eyes to see.

"I hold here," she continued, "an official ceasefire treaty between Britannia and Japan. With our signatures, we hereby vow to lay down arms and end the conflict that has taken many innocent lives, both Britannian and Japanese. With the beginning of the SAZ comes the end of our differences, and the end of all of this unnecessary violence! I ask that Zero add his own signature to this document, so that it can finally be put into effect!"

'Can I really go along with this?' Lelouch, beneath the Zero mask, thought to himself. 'Euphie's plan... it's not perfect, but it's a step in the right direction. All these people... I can't deny them their freedom, not now... but after this, the Black Knights... what will become of _them_?"

His quick mind was not going to be quick enough this time, he realized. The packed stadium watched eagerly for their Zero to make his mark on the treaty Euphemia held out to him, for him to engrave their independence in stone. Zero approached center stage as the Britannian princess beamed at him in anticipation. Taking the parchment into his gloved hands, the enigmatic leaders of the Black Knights rested the document onto the podium, signing it with the fountain pen he was provided while those watching live and via television observed in absolute silence. His signature was brief, his alias of Zero, of course – he could not give away his identity to the Britannian parliament now, at such a crucial juncture. Upon completion, Zero spoke just three simple words, heard by everyone.

"It is done."

The crowd erupted into blissful cheering, chants of "Euphie" and "Zero" filling the air with joyous celebration. The Black Knights at headquarters embraced each other, their long struggle at last producing results. Prince Schneizel smiled warmly while watching the ceremony from his chambers, while Princess Cornelia seemed... indifferent at the very least. Upon completing his task, Zero addressed his faithful as the world watched.

"My people!" he called out to the masses. "On this fateful day, our hard work, and your pleas for freedom, have at last been answered! You have been granted a sanctuary, a place where you will be free from oppression and discrimination, and able to live normal, peaceful lives! But I'm afraid many speculators are sorely mistaken."

An onset of confusion swept over the sea of spectators, only to be quashed by the elation that followed Zero's next words.

"This will not be the end of the Black Knights!"

From her viewpoint, Cornelia reacted instantly. "But he signed a ceasefire...!!"

"We shall remain, as a special force protecting those who require it most," Zero continued in his booming voice. "As long as the Black Knights exist, we shall be the shield for those who cannot defend themselves!"

"Zero! Zero! Zero! Zero! Zero! Zero! Zero! Zero! Zero!"

The chanting continued, strong and proud, as Japan's icon bid his farewells to the diplomats on stage as well as Princess Euphemia, and made his departure. The cheers echoed in Zero's mind well after the ceremony, but he was unaware that the celebrations had not yet concluded.

--

It was less than a second after he had reentered headquarters when a certain redheaded pilot crashed into him with the force of a locomotive. With tears in her eyes, Kallen Kozuki squeezed her leader to a state of breathlessness as the rest of the resistance group sprayed champagne everywhere, rejoicing over the fruits of their labors.

"You did it, Zero!" she cried out happily. "You promised you would liberate the Japanese, and it's happening! Our dreams are coming true!"

Despite himself, Zero found himself returning Kallen's embrace, reminding himself to reprimand Shinichiro Tamaki for making a mess of the place with his supply of alcohol.

"This is just the first step," he responded sternly. "Britannia's grip on Japan is weakening. It's only a matter of time before the entire country will be able to break free, completely, from those that threaten them."

"Heeeey, Zero!" Tamaki called, grasping the neck of an open champagne bottle. The slur in his voice and his awkward way of walking was a testament to the amount of drink he had indulged in. "I dunno how you did it, buddy! Those Britannian snobs actually gave in!"

He would have said more, but as he lunged to wrap an arm around Zero, Tamaki managed to trip over his own feet in his drunken stupor. He found the carpet comfortable, evidently, as snoring was heard seconds later.

"Went a little heavy on the celebrating, I see," Zero noted, as Kallen stifled her laughter at Tamaki's antics.

"We're all very impressed with how you handled things down there," came the praise of Diethard Reid, who was careful not to step on the snoozing body on the floor. "The speech was magnificent, you roused the crowd into a euphoria! You've truly become a god among men to them, Zero."

"My thanks, Diethard," was the response, as he shook his media manager's hand. "However, we still have work that has to be done. The Black Knights will continue to operate under my direction."

"So... where DO we go from here, Zero?" asked Kallen, edging back into the conversation. "How do we make sure Britannia keeps their word on the ceasefire agreement?"

Under the mask of Zero, Lelouch smiled. "We are the guardians of the weak, and Britannia knows our power. If they try anything suspicious, they know they will have to answer to us."

--

Japan was ecstatic. Britannia was relieved. But there was another viewpoint altogether.

In a pure white chamber in an unknown location, a young golden-eyed girl switched off the television as the news shifted to a topic that did not involve the newly-developed Special Administrative Zone. She fingered her shoulder-length black hair as she tilted her head toward the regal figure in white seated behind her.

"So what do you think? About the new Special Administrative Zone? It must be wonderful for the Japanese to get their freedom back."

Brown eyes never lifted from the novel being read by the ivory-haired man in magnificent white robes. His right hand, propping the book up in front of him, flipped to the next page, as his head rested lazily against his left.

"I don't think about it," he responded indifferently. "What goes on between Britannia and Japan is a matter that does not concern my people. My efforts are focused elsewhere."

"Right," the raven-haired girl responded as she rose to her feet. She appeared to be not a day older than 16, while the man she addressed could have easily been in his mid-20's. "Your wild goose chase. You expect 'your people' are united under your little stories of make-believe?"

"My people will believe what I tell them," the man in white countered. "And when the time comes, I shall reap their praise."

The girl plucked a stray thread from her equally fancy wardrobe and strolled silently toward the gold and ivory double doors. She got a glance of the book her associate was captivated by: "The Legend of the Fountain of Youth".

"Whatever you say," she chided sardonically as she took her leave, shaking her head.

--

_**Author's Note 2:**__ As you may have noticed, this story deviates at the point the SAZ is created. Lelouch does not lose control of his Geass, and the Euphinator does not get gunned down. Any issues with continuity, technology, and other such matters may be brought to my attention in a polite matter. I'm bound to make mistakes, especially since my mecha knowledge is about as ironclad as a water balloon. (Short version: Story is AU. Flamers suck.)_


	2. Suspicion

**_Author's Note: _**_The document uploader is a strange device. Just an observation._

--

A somber air filled the room as the Ashford Academy student council took in the news that was just now being broadcast.

"The Special Administrative Zone took yet another hit yesterday, when two more facilities – an electric power plant and a natural gas supplier – were wiped out by violent explosions," the TV reporter detailed as footage from the wrecked buildings was displayed. "The tragedy was the sixth of its kind since the SAZ's establishment just two weeks ago, claiming the lives of 217 Japanese workers, and has heightened unrest among the area's citizens."

"You'd think after six of these things they'd have found out the source of all the explosions," Rivalz quipped, turning to his best friend. Lelouch Lamperouge's reply came in the form of a simple "hmm", as he crossed his arms over his chest. His violet eyes scanned the room: Milly appeared to carry pity for the Japanese, Shirley looked horrified by the event, Nina was too consumed by her scientific research to notice, and Kallen's chair was empty. Today happened to be one of her "sick days".

In addition to Kallen's absence, Suzaku was naturally missing due to his never-ending duties for the Britannian military. Lelouch's mind wandered to consider the reasoning behind these seemingly random explosions, struggling to keep his suspicions from getting the best of him. The repetition of these events just didn't seem right. They couldn't be random.

Lelouch was abruptly snapped from his thoughts by the faint vibration of his cell phone. Glancing down, he spared himself a sigh after seeing the name of the sender.

Q-1. Her timing was impeccable.

"How many times have I told you, Lelouch!" came Milly's mother-like scolding. "No cell phones during council meetings!"

"You've never told me," Lelouch countered, trying to mask his surprise and stuff the phone away. "When did this rule start?"

"Today! Now who is it?" Another determined attempt by the student council president to pry into his personal life, Lelouch realized. Luckily, he had gotten so familiar with Milly's tactics that he was able to pick out an escape almost instantly.

"It's Nunnally," he answered, beginning to pack up his things. "She needs someone to take her to the market, and Sayoko is off duty today. I trust you can continue the meeting without me?"

"Uhh, sure, I guess," Milly resigned disappointedly. She was so close to snatching that cell phone too. Lelouch left the council room in a hurry, leaving behind a perplexed group of people.

"That Lulu!" Shirley burst out after Lelouch had gone. "He's always ditching student council for something else! President, you need to do something about that! He's our vice president, after all!"

"Don't worry Shirley, I'm sure your darling Lulu will be back tomorrow!" the blonde answered cheerfully, causing Shirley to turn as red as a tomato.

--

After reaching the safety of his room, Lelouch took the time to return Kallen's call. As he listened to the ringing, his eyes took in the condition of his room. C.C. was nowhere to be found, but her presence was made noticeable. All sorts of clothes were strewn around the floor, and the bed she had deviously swiped from him was abashedly unkempt. The stacks of pizza boxes on the floor and the ever-present odor of cheese clogged the room, forcing Lelouch to open a window or two just to make it tolerable.

"Zero?"

"Good to hear from you, Q-1," Lelouch addressed her. "My apologies, I was occupied earlier. What's the situation?"

On the other end of the line, Kallen stood behind a group of the Black Knights, rounded up in front of the same television on which they had happily watched Zero and Euphemia proclaim the establishment of the Special Administrative Zone. This time, they were grimly absorbing the news of that very SAZ crumbling due to these constant tragedies.

"Everyone's getting all worked up," Kallen spoke into the receiver of her phone, making sure the others Black Knights couldn't overhear her. They likely weren't paying much attention to her anyway, choosing instead to spend their time cursing Britannia, firmly rooted to the belief that the country they opposed were behind the mounting death toll marring the SAZ. "They're all certain that Britannia's doing this to the Japanese. They're calling for a counterstrike, but we don't have any evidence on who's involved."

"I, too, have my suspicions," was Lelouch's answer. He checked his watch, noting that it was nearly six o'clock. The trip to the Black Knights' headquarters took him about half an hour. "I'll be at headquarters tonight to discuss the matter. Whether we take action, and how, will be discussed then. In the meantime, Kallen, I'm counting on you to keep everyone's temper in check. We can't have any loose cannons at such a delicate time between the two nations."

"Hai, Zero... until then," Kallen responded, her voice full of admiration and loyalty. Lelouch snapped his phone shut as he booted up his computer, gathering all the latest information regarding the two new blasts that had made the news today. He never noticed a silent green-haired figure enter the room, a giant yellow stuffed toy clutched tightly to her body.

"You suppose this is Britannia's work, hm?" C.C. finally said, breaking the silence. Lelouch tilted his head slightly in the direction of the witch, the one who had bestowed upon him what she called "the power of absolute obedience". He wasn't nearly as surprised by her sudden appearance as he used to be – having been forced to share a room with her since her initial arrival made him expectant of her constant intrusions.

"It's not out of the question, if that's what you're asking," Lelouch responded, cleverly avoiding the direct question. "Princess Cornelia, for one, was certainly one of those less pleased with the development of the SAZ. Although, I can't imagine that she would do something so brash as sabotage Euphie's hard work..."

"Well this should be amusing," C.C. commented monotonously. "The great Zero is presented with a problem that actually can't be solved with Geass. Whatever will you do?"

"Technically you're a problem that can't be solved by Geass as well," Lelouch snapped back as he rose from the computer chair and put his jacket back on. "But I manage."

"How witty," the green-haired witch replied, now lying spread-eagle on the bed. "Just don't go jumping to conclusions. I do need you alive, you know."

"I have no intentions of getting myself killed, you can count on that," laughed Lelouch, collecting his Zero outfit and leaving C.C. in his room. He had to get to headquarters before a riot broke out.

--

The entrance to the Black Knights' headquarters hissed and slid open, making way for the rebellion's enigmatic leader. He received a number of salutes as he treaded briskly down the hallways, floors clanging lightly with each step he took. He could hear the growing voices of Ohgi and Tamaki as he approached the hideout's lounge, both of whom silenced completely upon his sudden arrival.

"Zero!" shouted Ohgi upon sight of his black mask and cape. "You believe this is the work of Britannia, right? Who else could have triggered those explosions? And so many of them in just a couple of weeks...!"

"Ohgi, calm down!" Kallen shouted from the other side of the room, adjusting her headband as she greeted Zero with a nod and a smile. "We've been waiting for you, Zero. A lot of the Black Knights are fed up with these attacks."

"I can't imagine who else would be attacking such strategic points of the SAZ," Rakshata Chawla chimed in from her usual position, laid out on a love seat with her tobacco pipe in hand. "Britannia does seem to be the obvious culprit, here..."

Beneath the mask, Lelouch was growing annoyed by the constant cries for Britannia's head on a platter. There was no evidence, there were no witnesses, there were no -

Silence swept over the room when the communicators began chiming. Kallen was the first to notice the incoming call, including its classification.

"A royal communications line? Britannia's calling us? Now?" Her questions fell on deaf ears as the channel opened, displaying the person sending the transmission.

"Good evening, Zero. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

Plastered on all of the monitors was a man with hair white as snow, and the white and gold wardrobe of a royal figure. A black-haired teenage girl poked her head into view, but was quickly shooed away by the speaker.

"You've caught my group at a less-than-convenient time, I'm afraid," Zero answered sternly. The man beneath the mask stared at the face of this peculiar man, trying to figure out where he had seen him before. He felt very out of place, considering several other Black Knights wore looks of amazement. Rakshata had even removed her pipe from her mouth, a very rare occasion.

"Our leader is busy," Kallen interjected after noticing Zero's lull. "Please state your name and your order of business, so we can make this quick."

Zero was relieved that someone other than himself was unaware of this man's identity. Though it all came back to him upon hearing the name of the man he was addressing.

"Yes, forgive me," the man in white apologized, casually scratching the back of his head. "I foolishly overlooked introductions. I am Abraxas von Arcadia the Sixteenth, crown prince of the Arcadian Empire. And Zero, I offer you my assistance."

Violet eyes widened beneath the emotionless mask. How could he forget him? The prince of the Arcadian family, the infamous bloodline that resurrected the Holy Roman Empire, and crafted it into a now-prosperous entity that stood as one of the Euro Universe's greatest powers?

The Black Knights whispered unheard things to each other. Kallen seemed perplexed, and Lelouch's mind was a whirlwind.

'We're being offered an alliance... by the White Rose Prince?'

--

_**Author's Note:**__ Yes, I used a Japanese word in an English-language story. Sue me._


	3. Negotiation

_**Author's Note:**__ In my excitement to post, I completely forgot to add disclaimers. Silly me. I don't own Code Geass. If I did, there actually would be an R3._

--

A dropping pin could have echoed throughout the suffocating silence that clogged the Black Knights' headquarters. Abraxas von Arcadia XVI, prince of the Arcadian Empire, was offering an alliance. A pact with the most powerful military force in the Euro Universe. Lelouch's mind went into overdrive, attempting to comprehend what Arcadia could possibly want from a conflict that had nothing to do with them. They had no issues with Britannia, at least none that had reached the media yet.

"Does this come as a surprise?" inquired the prince on the communications screen. "Arcadia has always supported the prospect of a world free of oppression."

The wave of surprise ebbed, replacing itself with a fresh wave of suspicion. Many resistance members were beginning to have the same thoughts as Zero, wondering what exactly the so-named White Rose Prince had to gain from their struggle for liberation.

"So you wish to aid the Order of the Black Knights," Zero mused, drawing a nod from Prince Abraxas.

"Are you not tired of their cruel acts against the Japanese, those without the means to protect themselves from the cunning and power of a merciless government?" the White Rose Prince inquired. "Nearly a dozen major facilities reduced to rubble, countless lives claimed by those twisted flames... I too seek to purge the world of such wretched hostility, Zero."

"I find it hard to imagine that you would offer the services of such a powerful nation without compensation," the black mask of Zero replied. "So I ask of you, Prince of Arcadia, what is it that you want from us?"

A smile crossed the pale face of Abraxas von Arcadia.

"You are as clever as the rumors portray you," Abraxas complimented. "You are indeed correct. For the services of the Arcadian army, I ask a favor of you and your Black Knights. Tell me Zero, are you familiar with the legend of eternicite?"

If the Black Knights were confused when Abraxas offered up his entire army for their cause, then this latest question left their brains screaming for logic.

"Eternicite," Zero repeated flatly. "If my memory serves, I've heard the term mentioned a few times during my childhood. A legendary mineral, am I right?"

Abraxas nodded his head in response. "They say eternicite possesses limitless power. It's even the basis for such theories as the Philosopher's Stone and the Fountain of Youth. But I know better, Zero. I know what eternicite's true potential can be."

Zero could hardly believe what he was hearing. The prince of the Arcadian Empire was lecturing him about a fairy tale. Eternicite didn't exist. Hundreds of years of scientific research concluded that it didn't exist. There were no records of it ever being excavated, and the few claimed sightings of the mythological mineral turned out to be nothing but false alarms.

"You haven't answered my question," Zero pressured. "What does any of this nonsense have to do with our matter?"

"Quite simply." Abraxas responded, once again shooing away the young girl that poked her head into the camera's view again, "should your Knights agree to help me find eternicite, I will lend you the strength of Arcadia for your own endeavors."

A silence once again filled the room as Zero felt several sets of eyes on him. Abraxas folded his fingers in anticipation, Kallen leaned back against the railing in confusion, and Diethard watched from afar, intrigued by this sudden development that could drastically affect the fate of the Black Knights. Their leader broke the silence with his simple, but telling decision.

"We decline."

"I beg your pardon?" came Abraxas' mystified reaction. From the looks of things, the Black Knights were closely divided on the issue of such a groundbreaking alliance.

"We have no proof that Britannia is behind any of these actions," Zero explained sternly. "Furthermore, with tensions as they are, we are in no position to be running around looking for a nonexistent mineral. If anything, the eternicite you seek is in fact sakuradite, a mineral which has long since been studied, mined, and used in modern technology."

Abraxas' eyes closed halfway, shaking his head in disappointment. "A foolish assumption. Sakuradite is far inferior to the miracles that eternicite could-"

"With all due respect, Your Highness," interrupted Zero, getting tired of this drawn-out discussion, "you're living in a world of fantasies. I hope that for the sake of your country, you focus your authority elsewhere."

And with that, before Abraxas could get another word in, the transmission was cut.

"What the hell, Zero?" Tamaki was the first to shout, prompting unrest in the room yet again. "Are you serious?! You turned down an entire army? Just like that?"

"Arcadia does not share our interests," Zero boomed with tenacity. "What you just saw was smoke and mirrors, a theatrical performance put on by Prince Abraxas to win us over. It is not we who desired his help, it was he who desired ours."

"But we could have-!" Tamaki's fit was silenced as Ohgi gripped the man by the shoulders.

"Take it easy!" he insisted. "Zero knows what he's doing, and it was his call! He hasn't led us down the wrong path yet, and you still find it so difficult to trust him?"

"I trust him," Tamaki shot back, shifting back into "best buddy" mode. "But Zero, man, we could have quashed Britannia like a bug if we had Arcadia on our side! Don't you read the news about the freaky Knightmare ideas they have over there?"

Kallen had heard far enough of the quibbling among the ranks and was on her way out the door, when she happened to pass by Diethard. The media manager leaned against the wall casually, coming out of his thoughts quick enough to catch Kallen within earshot.

"Kozuki, do you have a moment?" he asked, checking to make sure the coast was clear. "Something I'd like to discuss."

Kallen's head turned toward the speaker, and the redhead made a 180.

"Something I wanted to ask you too," she answered. "You're the news buff around here, what's so special about the prince of Arcadia?"

"Arcadia's been a growing power for the past century or so," Diethard explained, resting his chin on his hand. "Abraxas always had a fascination with things beyond the ordinary... he was amazed by the story of eternicite. To believe that somewhere in this world there's a substance that can produce unlimited power, it could transform any budding nation into an unsurpassed utopia."

Kallen still wasn't clear on everything. Sure, he was royalty, and an odd personality, but...

"Everyone seemed so surprised at his appearance," she continued.

"Yes, well, he _is _the White Rose Prince," Diethard laughed. "He never was one for conventional solutions to problems. Must be why he's the only member of the Arcadian family to learn how to pilot a Knightmare Frame. His first Knightmare never had a name, but it was always noticeable on the battlefield. Arcadian units are normally a deep gold, but his was white as a ghost. Hence, he became the White Rose Prince."

"That's right..." Kallen remarked, recalling having seen a large white rose embroidered on the Arcadian flag in one of her school textbooks. "I remember hearing something about it. That Knightmare was destroyed last year, wasn't it?"

Diethard nodded in confirmation. "During military training. Abraxas should have been killed, but they never explained how he survived. Some stories are best left untold, I suppose. It gives the people something to think about."

"Zero sure was quick to turn down that alliance proposal," Kallen remarked, her head tilting back a bit to observe the commotion in the other room.

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about, actually," Diethard informed her. "Zero is correct, we can't go dividing our forces to hunt for buried treasure for Arcadia. However, their support would be a tremendous boost to our level of authority."

"You're not suggesting we disobey Zero," Kallen interjected, her words more of a command than an accusation. "Like Ohgi said, we have to trust his judgment. He's already gotten us so far..."

"I've done a good bit of research on Arcadia in my time," came the response. "Zero is a brilliant tactician, and having Arcadia's technology and numbers on our side would make him invincible. I'm not asking you to go against his word. Rather, I want you to speak with Abraxas again. We need to paint a clearer picture of his motives. Perhaps then we can work out a reasonable agreement to our benefit."

Kallen's eyes fixated on Zero's motionless form. Diethard put forth a convincing argument. But meet with the Arcadian prince behind her leader's back?

'What do I do, Zero?' she found herself asking in her mind. 'If only you could tell me what I should do in this situation...'

She looked down at the key to the Guren, kept around her neck. Zero had given her everything she could ask for, including the prospect of a future she could be happy with. All of her hopes and dreams revolved around the very person whose decision she found herself questioning. Why did he reject the alliance so readily? What part of the big picture was hidden from her view?

She left Diethard without a word, and shut herself up in her room at headquarters for the rest of the evening. It was only until nearly midnight that Kallen silently exited her room, advancing back toward the communications room.

--

"So what now?" chimed the girl that inhabited Abraxas' chambers. "Your little alliance idea didn't seem to work all that well."

"You were the one getting yourself all wrapped up in the SAZ news stories," the prince snapped. "If Japan's sakuradite deposit is a sign of a possible eternicite vein, then it becomes relevant to my interests. If I had the Black Knights as an ally, I wouldn't have to worry about Britannia throwing one of their fits over territorial issues."

The girl flipped her black hair dismissively and left, apparently bored of poking at Abraxas' temper. The communications device behind him flickered to life, as a black-haired, blue-eyed man approximately 20 years of age appeared on the screen. A tattoo of a rose was visible on the left side of his face, apparently a sign of high standing.

"Highness, transmission from the Black Knights again," he informed his superior. "Heh, think they changed their mind already?"

Abraxas sighed. "Enough remarks, Ludo. I'll take the transmission. Royal channel, if you please."

"As His Highness wishes," the man named Ludo answered, disappearing from the screen. He was replaced by an imaging of the message sender, prompting the White Rose Prince to blink in puzzlement.

"You are not Zero," Abraxas commented. "Your name?"

The red-haired girl on the other end hesitated a moment. "...Kallen Kozuki, Your Highness."

Abraxas' eyebrows raised. "Ah. The Red Lotus herself."

--

_**Author's Note:**__ Just kidding. No Author's Note here. Though it does serve as a decent "chapter's over" signal._


	4. Revelation

_**Author's Note: **__For those of you wondering, the Kallen x Lelouch love isn't scheduled to show up until quite a bit later. Good things come to those who wait._

--

"_So, you wish to renegotiate. Perhaps there is someplace we may speak in person?"_

--

Lelouch awoke in his room, his mind still replaying the recent events that had occurred several days ago. After Arcadia's attempt at intervening, he had postponed any and all action against Britannian forces, again citing the lack of evidence against them. Instead, he planned out patrol routes for members of the Black Knights, a precaution to prevent any further events from occurring. It had been nearly a week since then, and no further incidents had occurred. So far, so good.

'It doesn't make sense,' he thought to himself, thinking back to the unusual alliance request. 'Arcadia choosing this time to jump into the conflict? If only I could figure out what they really wanted...'

After checking his alarm clock, he got himself up and ready for the day at Ashford. Maybe a normal day at school could help ease the issues on his mind. However, that hope vanished the moment he entered the breakfast room and got a view of the academy's massive front entrance from the window.

The elaborate campus courtyard was crowded with students, the focal point being a tremendous white and gold floating battleship. Approximately the size of Prince Schneizel's Avalon, the airship that was before Lelouch's eyes bore several flags, all marked with the emblem of a flawless white rose.

'That ship...!' Lelouch noticed in shock. 'There's no way...!'

His entrance into the room was noticed by Nunnally, who was seated at the table in her wheelchair, Sayoko tending to her.

"Big brother, did you hear the news?" she asked with a cheerful smile. "It seems the academy is having a very special visitor today. The prince of Arcadia came all the way from the Euro Universe to tour the academy and the new Special Administrative Zone."

"That's interesting," Lelouch commented, his expression betraying his disbelief. Coming to Ashford? What in the world was Abraxas doing here?

"Everyone seems to want to meet him," Nunnally remarked, her nimble hands still at work folding paper cranes. "Miss Sayoko and I were going to go watch his arrival after breakfast. Would you like to come along, brother?"

"Um, sure, I suppose I could," her brother answered. Lelouch's eyes never left the tremendous airship touching down on solid ground, virtually the entire student body surrounding the landing site.

'There's no way he's only here on a tour,' he thought to himself suspiciously.

--

Lelouch, Nunnally, and Sayoko had all joined the still-growing crowd outside the school, surrounding the magnificent Arcadian flagship. Lelouch noticed the vessel's logo, the trademark white rose with the ship's given name, "Calypso", embossed across the front of it in elegant script writing. As the silver-haired form of Abraxas von Arcadia stepped off of his ship to the applause and welcomes from the student body, four Arcadian officers stayed a few paces ahead of him, delicately scattering the petals of bleached roses among the path on which he walked.

"Isn't this a bit overdramatic?" Lelouch asked no one in particular, raising an eyebrow. His rhetorical question was answered when Suzaku appeared out of nowhere, stepping in alongside his longtime friend.

"It's an Arcadian royal tradition, Lelouch," the honorary Britannian explained. "Arcadia has long idolized the white rose as a divine form of life. Sprinkling rose petals on the ground is like a means of purifying the land, making it fit for a member of the royal family to walk upon. It's almost like a metaphor that they walk among the heavens, rather than on the same mortal plane as us."

"And people think I have an ego problem," Lelouch muttered, crossing his arms. His eyes followed the Arcadian prince when someone else caught his eye. Tilting his head slightly to the right, his jaw nearly dropped at who he saw.

Kallen, his loyal Black Knight, his Q-1, was standing there, waiting for Abraxas. She wore her Ashford uniform, and her hair was combed down, like any other normal school day. It seemed like she was using her meek persona as a "tour guide".

The dusting of rose petals concluded as the four officers reached Kallen, briefly checking to make sure she was carrying nothing suspicious. Following that, the officers retreated back to their prince.

"She's clean, Your Highness," one of them informed him. "Are you sure you won't be needing any bodyguards?"

"I am perfectly capable of defending myself," Abraxas assured them pointedly. "Return to the Calypso. This shouldn't take too awfully long."

"Y-Yes... of course, Your Highness."

As the four officers were sent back to the Arcadian flagship, Abraxas von Arcadia gave one last wave to the welcoming students and faculty before offering a hand to Kallen.

"Miss Kallen Stadtfeld, I presume," the prince remarked, cleverly using her school name to avoid suspicion. He took her hand and kissed the back of it courteously. "I have been told that you would be my escort for my academy tour today. A pleasure to meet you in person."

The school bell rang, forcing the academy staff to round up their students and return them to their respective classrooms. It took several minutes to clear the courtyard, but soon Abraxas and Kallen were alone. Lelouch had no choice but to leave the scene with everyone else, completely bewildered that Kallen would take such an unexpected action without his knowledge, let alone his consent.

Abraxas let the silence between himself and the red-haired pilot linger for a few moments longer before deciding it safe to speak freely.

"Clever timing, Lotus, I must admit," he commented. "We have much to discuss."

--

The day dragged on for Lelouch. Regardless of how hard he tried to focus on other things, he could not shake the feeling of betrayal that gripped his psyche. Seeing Kallen that morning with Abraxas triggered something within him, making him want to vomit. The worst part, he knew, was the fact that he could not confront her about it as Zero, as that would clue her in as to his identity. Shuffling into his room, Lelouch braced his head against his hands, racking his brain to figure out a way to solve the situation.

"Having a bad day, are we?" questioned the witch that laid sprawled on his bed lazily.

--

"What makes you so sure this eternicite exists?" Kallen questioned curiously. Despite allowing Abraxas a chance to reconcile the possible alliance, the pilot still found it odd that a person of such high standing would be chasing after something so frivolous.

"I did not always spend my time within the Arcadian palace, Lotus," the prince explained. "I studied in Britannia for several years in the field of Knightmare design, much to the displeasure of my family. They expected me to devote myself to preparing for my ascension to the throne, but I had far more aspirations. Why do I believe it exists? Because my mentor found it. During a particularly cold winter night, he took shelter in a nearby cavern while on one of his research trips. It was there that he came upon that mineral the world has forever sought."

"So your mentor thinks he found a metal that scientists today have never been able to find," Kallen drawled disinterestedly. "And you didn't find that hard to believe?"

"He described it with such detail," Abraxas answered, visualizing the day he had heard the stories of the renowned mineral. "The way its pure golden luminescence radiated from it, the brilliant light it shone onto the cavern walls, the way its glow warmed the body and spirit even in the most frigid of temperatures. He could feel the power that it exuded. He knew he had to get an excavation order."

Kallen listened reluctantly as she led Abraxas around the academy campus, keeping up the façade that they were actually on a tour of the school grounds. The entire story seemed too farfetched to her.

"So if he got an excavation order, why don't you have eternicite already?" she eventually interjected. Her outburst got no reaction from the Arcadian prince. She was starting to get annoyed with his stone-faced demeanor. "Let me guess, your mentor is hogging it all."

"The eternicite was never found," Abraxas corrected her sternly. Kallen's skepticism reached a new high after that remark. "The excavation order was carried out within a week, but it had vanished entirely. Not a trace of it remained."

"If you ask me, it sounds like a hallucination," the redhead retorted sharply. Abraxas merely blinked.

"Believe what you want," he conceded. "My offer has no bearing on whether you think it true or false. Help me find eternicite and you gain my support. It's a very simple contract. Should we find the eternicite vein, I will even be willing to split the payload."

He offered his hand to Kallen, extending the agreement he had proposed.

"What is your decision, Lotus? Yes or no?"

--

"So Kallen is wandering around with Abraxas von Arcadia, huh?" C.C. repeated, the same emotionless voice as ever. Lelouch nodded silently, his head resting against his hand in thought. C.C. remained motionless, staring up at the blank ceiling as if she found something interesting on it.

"I know of him," she said. "He's a pretty dangerous man."

Lelouch's eyes diverted, now fixed on the green-haired girl spread out on his bed.

"Dangerous?" he questioned. "What makes you think that?"

C.C. tilted her head slightly toward Lelouch, making eye contact briefly before returning her gaze to the roof.

"I thought you knew," she remarked. "His Geass."

The last thing C.C. heard was the bedroom door slamming shut, and when she looked back, Lelouch was no longer present.

--

"I don't think the Black Knights would be using their time efficiently searching for a metal which we don't even know exists," Kallen affirmed, beginning to realize that Zero's suspicions were well-founded after all. Abraxas was clearly delusional if he expected this fairy tale mineral to exist, but his determination grew only stronger.

"Must this meeting come to my last resort?" Abraxas sighed, lowering his outstretched hand. "I traveled so many miles to speak with you, in the hope that the Red Lotus would be more understanding."

Kallen's body became more rigid, her hand creeping closer to where she kept her pouch knife. As she edged backwards slowly, Abraxas closed just as much distance between them.

"A.A. told me that this meeting wasn't going to get me anywhere," the prince laughed. "But perhaps we can come to a more appropriate agreement once I figure out what makes you tick."

Before she could take a swing with her blade, Kallen was rendered motionless by a force she couldn't comprehend. The last thing she saw was Abraxas' eyes, the right one brown, the left one crimson, a shimmering eagle sigil overlapping his left iris.

The last thing she heard was Lelouch screaming her name.

--

**Author's Note:** _Well, I_ thought _I was going to have Knightmares in this chapter. Oh well, they'll show up in the next one, most likely._


	5. Confrontation

_**Author's Note: **__And so the Knightmares are released. Here's hoping I don't suck at combat scenes._

--

Time seemed to hang in the air, unmoving, as Abraxas' eye contact with Kallen produced a myriad of images before the prince's eyes. His mind was distant, lingering in an otherworldly theater, the feature presentation being the deepest and darkest sources that fueled Kallen's life. What he saw granted him endless information about the girl before him; it gave him the ultimate weapon. It gave him the ability to corrupt her heart.

He felt pangs of emotion that he had grown familiar with as each scene of Kallen's life passed before his eyes. He could sense nostalgia and sadness as he gazed upon Kallen playing with a young boy, whom he assumed was her brother. The name came to him, Naoto. The scenes continued. He saw her mother, and a flood of regret and frustration hit him with impressive force. It was soon replaced with the feeling of contentment, of belonging, as he visualized the student council members that Kallen had befriended during the year. And at last, he detected an unyielding admiration as the enigmatic form of Zero appeared before him. To Abraxas' surprise, he could see Zero reaching up toward his mask. The Arcadian prince concentrated to maintain the connection as he heard the hissing sound of the mask retracting. It lowered slowly... and he heard the scream.

Time kicked back into motion as the connection was severed by Lelouch's interference. Abraxas' head whirled around, recognizing the boy as one of the student council members he had drawn out from Kallen's soul. This situation certainly did not bode well, and Abraxas' hand reached for the saber he had brought along for emergencies.

"What did you do to her?!" Lelouch shouted at the prince, as Kallen's eyes glimmered absently with a faint scarlet hue. The blade of Abraxas' saber came into view, the sight of which snapped the redheaded girl back into reality. She needed only a moment to notice the situation.

The power within Lelouch's left eye began to awaken, as he shot Abraxas a furious glare. "Why don't you just go back to Arcadia and d-!"

"WAIT!" Kallen shrieked, stepping between the two enemies. Lelouch's eye contact with Abraxas was cut off, and Abraxas quickly backed off, unwilling to harm the girl. An awkward silence filled the air, Kallen's body squarely placed in front of Lelouch, almost as if to accept the cold steel of the saber before Lelouch could. Lelouch simply stood motionlessly, unsure what to think.

"He… he just came to find me for student council," Kallen told the white-haired prince, who raised an eyebrow in suspicion. "He didn't mean you any harm, Your Highness."

Abraxas' eyes went from Kallen, to Lelouch, and back again. He sheathed his saber after a moment's pause, finally arriving at the conclusion written before him. What he had seen in the fiery girl all made sense now.

'The boy is still unaware of what happened,' the prince figured quickly. 'I've no choice but to play it off.'

"Of course, my apologies," Abraxas conceded. "Forgive my aggression. Without my consort, I'm to take special care in defending myself when necessary, especially in foreign territory. Surely you understand, with so much terrorism in the world today…"

He shifted his eyes back to Kallen as he spoke those last few words. Lelouch considered the situation, finding no reason to create a ruckus. He would only wind up looking like a reckless maniac.

"Yes, I understand," he finally uttered, defeated. Kallen's actions still had his head spinning.

"Do you know your way around the school grounds by now, Your Highness?" Kallen questioned, clearly seeking a way to terminate the meeting. Abraxas got the message, and his words dripped with bitterness.

"I think I'll manage," he answered as politely as his mood would allow. "I'll just take a look around and visit the Special Administrative Zone later tonight. My thanks for the tour, Miss Stadtfeld, and again, my apologies, Mr. Lamperouge."

Abraxas departed with those words, his sour mood attributing to his pace of walking. Kallen glared daggers at the classmate that had interrupted her meeting with the Arcadian prince, but Lelouch was too bewildered to notice.

He had never told Abraxas his name.

What in the world did he do to Kallen?

He was snapped back to reality when the girl he was ignoring gave him a rather forceful shove.

"What the _hell_ is wrong with you, Lelouch?!" she barked at him, betraying her schoolgirl image. "You could have just called me! You almost got yourself killed like an _idiot_!"

'He must have used his Geass on her,' Lelouch thought to himself, slowly backing away from the raging redhead. 'Abraxas somehow knows who I am, and Kallen can't remember a thing about it…'

--

An aggravated Abraxas boarded the Calypso, collapsing into his appointed seat in the command center as all in the chamber saluted him. The black-haired girl was present as well, shaking her head sadly.

"Waste of time, wasn't it?" the girl asked the prince. "You can't expect the Black Knights to bend to your will. They carry much more honor than that."

"So I've seen," Abraxas addressed her. "Your perception never ceases to annoy me, A.A."

Also present, surrounding the raised table that displayed a holographic image of the terrain they were exploring, were three finely-dressed individuals, two men and one woman, each with a distinct rose tattoo on the side of their face and all three donning a wardrobe of white material and crimson trim. One could be recognized as Ludo, the man Abraxas had spoken to earlier from his palace chambers, and the only one whose attire was messy and casual.

"You're telling me we came all the way out here for nothing?!" Ludo exclaimed, slamming his fist down on the table. The hologram upon it flickered upon impact, drawing a wince from Abraxas.

"Please don't break that, Ludo," he pleaded, leaning his head back against the chair. "I've had to dock enough of your pay for repairing your Knightmare. I don't want to hold you responsible for replacing the Calypso's navigation system."

"Sheesh, who jammed a stick up your- gah!"

Ludo's comment was cut short by a sharp elbow jab from the golden-haired woman seated between the two men, her face wearing an unreadable expression.

"Our agenda is not yet complete," she addressed Abraxas. "Your Highness, do you wish to continue with our excavation schedule?"

Sighing, Abraxas nodded. "The eternicite was originally sighted within Sector F-208. Take the Calypso there and set it down on the ground. Excavation will continue as we had initially scheduled."

--

"What was that all about?" C.C. questioned as Lelouch returned after sprinting out of his room earlier without so much as a warning. "You acted as if Abraxas was going to kill her."

Lelouch slumped against the wall, gripping at his hair. This was a problem. This was a major problem. Kallen went against the orders of Zero, and Abraxas had used his Geass on Kallen. Who knows what effects that could have on her? Oh, right.

"C.C.," he called to her, finally lifting his fallen head up. His eyes were wide with curiosity. "What is Abraxas' Geass?"

C.C. forced a small smile, the most someone as emotionless as her could muster. She sat down on the edge of the bed and gazed down at the floor as she gave Lelouch the answer he wanted.

"The power of sublime empathy."

"Sublime empathy?" Lelouch continued to inquire. "So… emotions."

"In a way," answered C.C. "It's a key to unlocking a person's deepest and darkest feelings. You remember Mao, don't you?"

Lelouch nodded bitterly, the memories of that twisted mind-reading psychopath flooding back into his mind.

"It's similar," the green-haired girl continued. "Similar to his power. While Mao could read your mind, Abraxas can read your heart. He can pick apart a person's deepest emotions, and trace each one back to their source. In so many words, he can essentially live a person's life from their perspective in a matter of seconds."

"He used it on Kallen," Lelouch told her. "Abraxas knows me by name, who knows what else he might have gotten from her…"

"I'd be lying if I said that you shouldn't be concerned," C.C. admitted. "Kallen is a very emotional girl. For Abraxas, that's a prime target."

"I almost gave away my identity trying to protect her," came the response. "We were asking each other a ton of questions after Abraxas had left."

"You both seem to be having trouble maintaining your double lives, you know," C.C. observed sagely, flopping back down onto Lelouch's bed. "Maybe you should just come clean to her."

"And possibly compromise her loyalty?" Lelouch countered swiftly, his head knocking back against the wall. C.C. stretched and got to her feet, dragging herself and Cheese-kun out of the room lazily.

"Well, she was the one who went behind your back," she answered. "You call that loyalty?"

C.C. was courteous enough to leave Lelouch the bed. Just for this one night.

--

The Britannian Knight Police were on regular patrol nearby the Special Administrative Zone, keeping an eye out for any strange activity. Things were certainly tense with the explosions that had gripped the community in fear. What they were not expecting to find, however, was a large airship nestled in an open field, brilliant white lights beaming down on the work being done. Construction equipment was scattered around the area, and the terrain was torn open like a dog's favorite bone burial.

"What the hell is all this?" one of the officers asked himself, advancing his Sutherland unit to the top of a nearby ridge to get a better view of the excavation area. "That's… an Arcadian flagship?"

"This is the Britannian Knight Police!" shouted another unit from its PA system. "Arcadian vehicles are not to be performing this kind of construction on Britannian soil! Cease this at once and return to your own airspace!"

From within the Calypso, Abraxas glanced at the holographic map depicting the quartet of low-class Knightmares with a bored expression. Everything would have run so smoothly if not for this sudden intrusion by the Knight Police.

"If you want to solve the situation without a struggle, you'll have to flatten them before they call in other units," A.A. spoke solemnly to Abraxas from the side of his throne. Abraxas' lips twisted into a smirk.

"Then a massacre it shall be," he commented deviously. He rose from his seat as his three rose-marked subordinates turned to face him attentively.

"White Roses," he addressed them. "Ready your Knightmares. We must make this quick."

--

_**Author's Note: **__And next chapter there might actually be COMBAT! Aren't you excited? Of course you are. If you say you're not, you're lying._


	6. Escalation

_**Author's Note: **__So, you know that feeling you get when you like a story and it doesn't get updated for about a year and you think you'll never get to know how it continues? Sucks, doesn't it? Such feelings are only trumped by the feeling of amazement when that year-plus of waiting culminates in an actual update. On this very day, I shall grant you that feeling._

The White Roses, Arcadia's three finest Knightmare pilots, advanced down the dimly-lit Calypso stairwell on their way to the airship's hangar as a gruff voice barraged them with seemingly endless chatter.

"_You'll be dealing with__ the Britannian Knightpolice. These units are refitted Glasgows with most of armor and weaponry stripped. They do not pose significant threat, but if they call for-"_

"Yes, Vincenzio, we know what we're up against, please don't bother." Demitri Marcel muttered through his earpiece while trying to overtake Ludo in the team's race to the Knightmare hangar. The old man on the other end of the line had a problem with reciting information the three of them already had, to their annoyance.

"Yeah, it'll be over in two minutes!" Ludo sneered, slamming his fist into his palm with heightened anticipation and an unnatural craving for blood. "You might as well paint another four roses on my cockpit, Gramps!"

"_It's not as easy as it looks," _Vincenzio responded with a twinge of frustration._ "In order to settle this matter in a quiet and efficient way, we need to shift the blame for this encounter to someone else. In this particular case, the Black Knights."_

"So, what's the problem?" Came the voice of Aria Battista, who effortlessly slipped past both Demitri and Ludo right before the hangar door. "Just let Ludo play bull in china shop again."

That snide comment caused Ludo to come to an abrupt halt, as he stared daggers at the female Rose. Day after day he had to deal with her mouth, much like how Demitri had to deal with Ludo's sluggish thinking processes.

"What the hell, LUDO!" Demitri shouted as he slammed into Ludo at full speed, sending both of them tumbling violently to the floor.

"Oh God…" Aria covered her face with her palm as the two tangled in their attempts to recover. "You two boneheads will be the death of me someday…"

"If you're going to keep nagging all the time, we'd might as well speed up the process," Ludo barked in retort as he shoved Demitri back down onto the floor, the two aggravated men engaging in a primitive wrestling match of sorts. The blonde frowned and continued walking towards the hangar elevator, shaking her head.

"And you two wonder why you don't attract any girls," came her last remark.

"I don't see you scoring any hot studs, either!" Ludo shouted back as he and Demitri finally got to their feet and boarded the elevator as well.

"Not the best comeback, Ludo," Demitri snickered.

"_Ahem,"_ interjected Vincenzio over their earpieces, _"I don't mean to interrupt, but I'd like to remind you that you have a job to do."_

"My apologies, Vincenzo, we tend to get a bit carried away with our jokes," Demitri answered, glaring at Ludo on that final word as the elevator approached its destination at the bottom of the hangar. Vincenzio's audible sigh echoed over the line.

"_Apology accepted.__ Now, as I was saying, we need the blame for this incident to be directed toward the Black Knights. This means that you must destroy these police units in the rebels' style. And unfortunately for you, Ludo, Black Knights don't tear enemy Knightmares into pieces."_

"Oh come on, no fun at all!" Ludo choked out in disgust.

"_Enough, Ludo! You have absolutely no right to complain. Do you remember how much your "fun" with that Caerleon in Egypt cost us? The tech team and I had to take apart most of your Knightmare to repair it, and despite all that, the slash harkens are __**still**__ a mess."_

"Ain't my fault," the Arcadian pilot countered, "Demitri could've just shot it down with that cannon of his."

"Right, and let it fall on top of you," Demitri interrupted with a laugh, jumping into the open cockpit of his Knightmare. "Brilliant, Ludo, you dunce. Just brilliant. I'll be sure do better next time. And that's still no excuse for trying to bring down an airship with slash harkens."

"_In any event," _continued Vincenzio,_ "Demitri, for this mission you'll have to forget about using the cannon. However, we've finally completed your frame's VARIS rifle, so feel free to test it in actual combat. Just remember to aim for the head, because the shell can go through the entire Knightmare, and that will certainly give us away. Don't forget your autocannon too."_

"Thank you." Demitri inserted his key and put in the activation code, smiling to himself as the main display flickered to life, displaying the familiar white rose, followed by a synthesized voice.

_--- __Initializing… KF-PA-05A Cantata, systems engaged. ---_

The rose disappeared, and the primary display switched to providing image from the main camera, while the secondary display continued displaying the progress of the startup sequence.

_Checking life support__ systems… oxygen supply, cockpit pressurization, air filtering, load factor compensation… all green._

Although Demitri had full faith in the team's mechanic and mission coordinator, Vincenzio, the instructions still demanded he pay attention to the startup sequence in case of systems failure. Although potentially powerful and rapidly progressing, European technology was often raw and unreliable – consequences of desperate attempts to catch up with Britannian military advantage.

_--- __Checking propulsion systems… power supply, Yggdrasil reactor, hydraulics, balance control, landspinners… all green. ---_

Vincenzio's voice crackled to life once again, this time addressing Aria.

"_Aria, you will be doing most of the job," _he instructed her. _ "I've replaced the sonic emitter on the Sonata with additional electronic warfare equipment for this mission. Your job is to prevent the enemy from sending a distress call to their command, and then prevent their units from escaping. As for the upgrades, we've replaced the landspinners with compact float systems… you should like the increase in mobility."_

"Understood," Aria replied with her indifferent voice. Vincenzio's official tone suddenly changed to that of a grumpy parent.

"_And wear your pilot suit when I tell you to."_

"Ugh, not this again…"

Demitri chuckled to himself. Being her grandfather, Vincenzio always seemed overprotective of the trio's only female member. He was thankful he had enough tact not to get in the middle of their occasional family bickering.

_--- __Checking communications… satellite uplink, short wavelength radio, main multipurpose sensor, auxiliary sensors, main and backup cameras… all green. ---_

"_You__'d better watch your tone, girl," _Vincenzio warned before shifting his attention to an ever-anxious Ludo. _ "Now, Ludo. Most of your unit works by now, except for the slash harkens, which we'll replace with something better next week. Still, at least this time… can you please, please, PLEASE try to simply dispose of the enemy in the most simplistic and least destructive method possible instead of… jumping on them or – god forbid – smashing them against your knees? It would be nice for the Toccata to come back __**undamaged**__ for once."_

"Sure thing, Gramps," Ludo confirmed. "Can I rip them apart, then?"

An eerie silence descended upon the channel. Demitri imagined poor "Gramps" repeatedly slamming his head against the wall.

_--- __Checking weapons and targeting systems… fire control, VARIS sniper rifle, Firestorm cannon, wrist autocannon, shoulder missile launchers, slash harkens, ammunition feed… all green. ---_

Vincenzio gave up trying to convince him. It was like trying to argue with a Neanderthal.

"… _Just destroy them all. Alright, you'__re all ready. Get this done quickly, because although the Brits are still trying to figure out what the hell is going on, they may report our activity any moment now."_

_**--- **__**All systems functional. The Styx Foundation wishes you a good day. ---**_

Demitri cast one last glance at the hangar, at the dozen or so of Calypso's gold-colored Schwalbe Knightmares that would sit this one out, and advanced his craft towards the hangar gate, following the rest of his team into battle.

Outside, the Knightpolice squad continued their gradual approach toward the majestic battleship. To their confusion, it appeared that there still had been no reaction to their presence. Their radio frequencies came alive with their communication.

"Still no reply, Lieutenant?"

"No sir. No reply, no comm chatter, nothing. At least not on any of the open channels."

"Hmm… that's just weird… Alright, we've seen enough. Contact HQ and report this. We'll let the army deal with it."

"Yes sir."

A few moments passed, the silence being broken by the same Knightpolice pilot reporting even more unusual news.

"Sir… the signal won't go through. There appears to be some interference."

"Captain! Look!" The third Knightpolice unit directed the others' attention toward the rear of the Calypso. The airship's hull was pulling apart, unveiling a new, unfamiliar machine.

"It's… a Knightmare?" The captain activated his factsphere sensor and zoomed in on the intruder, attempting to get any information possible from this peculiar design.

To them, it was the strangest thing ever built. It was an oddly thin and relatively short Knightmare, painted entirely pitch black, with disproportioned and overextended limbs. In fact, the cockpit was by far the largest part, making up most of the torso, with some unidentifiable equipment mounted on its sides. It had two factspheres mounted on top of the shoulders – both of which suddenly turned towards the puzzled Knightpolice.

Then its head – slightly reminiscent of the Lancelot, but with red cameras and a more faceless appearance - shifted towards the advancing Britannians as well. It was then that the officers realized another unusual aspect of this alien model: it didn't have landspinners – it was hovering over the ground.

Seconds later, two more Knightmares joined the first one, both just as unfamiliar to the Knightpolice. The second arrival was bulky, headless and obviously heavily armored – as well as being twice as wide as a typical Knightmare Frame. Long arms and oversized fists clearly indicated this behemoth's purpose as a close combat unit, and a ferocious one at that. Its aggressive blood red paintjob and the huge jetpack mounted on its back gave this iron giant an even more menacing appearance. As with the first unit, its factspheres – mounted in the frame's shoulders this time – were firmly pointed at the Knightpolice.

The third unit that emerged from the Calypso's hull was the closest thing to a conventional frame in the trio. Painted light silver, it was relatively similar to the standard-issue Britannian KMFs from its outside appearance, but bulkier, angular, and more utilitarian in style. The head, although quite large, had a single yellow eye-like camera, not unlike those on the rebels' Gekkas. In its hands, the frame was holding a titanic sniper rifle, with an oversized scope that turned out to be another factsphere.

As if that wasn't intimidating enough, there was also a colossal machine gun strapped to its right arm.

A long dagger suddenly materialized in the first black Knightmare's metal hand.

"Okay… how about we leave… I don't think they look too friendly…" the fourth officer practically whispered while slowly retreating from his position.

The moment he said that, however, black smoke erupted from the black Arcadian unit, enveloping all three in a murky, opaque fog.

A shrill alarm sounded, warning the Knightpolice team that their units were being targeted.

"All units go weapons hot, we're under a-!" The captain's yell was cut short abruptly as the cloud of smoke extended to his Knightmare Frame, disrupting communication signals.

"Amateurs will be amateurs," Aria said to herself silently, having her swift and nimble Sonata plunge its electrified dagger into the commander unit's head. The victimized Knightmare jerked around violently from the severe short-circuit its systems received, losing all sense of balance as the Sonata whirled around and pointed the dagger at the second unit.

A mere push of a button, coupled with a barely audible "poof" of compressed air, and the wired blade launched itself at the confused officer, impaling his unit square in its head. From the corner of her eye, Aria could see the commander recover from her initial attack's shock and engage backup sensors.

"Quite courageous of him," she commented. "Soldiers usually eject in these situations."

Another press of a button, and with a whirring sound the cable retracted, pulling the blade back to its handle – just in time to block the Knightpolice's combat knives and deliver another electrifying blow. Unfortunately for the braver-than-expected commander, the force of the counterattack had instantly disabled his obsolete unit a second time.

Remaining as calm and indifferent as when she manned her Knightmare, Aria fired the Sonata's plasma thrusters, raising her slightly above the ground. Then, with a powerful kick to the chest, she sent her adversary flying onto his back, preventing a possible ejection.

Meanwhile, her second victim had recovered his wits enough to back up and ready his frame's dual machine pistols. However, he never got the chance to fire them at his intended target (not that he'd actually hit it with his electronics in their current condition) as his 6-ton machine was immediately swept away like a toy by Ludo's thundering Toccata.

Unlike Aria, whose elegant fighting style was reminiscent of ballet dancing, Ludo's combat sorties always resulted in an almost sickening excess of unnecessary violence, destruction, and all-around havoc. As the confrontation escalated, it became apparent that this time would not be any different. The sheer power of the Toccata allowed it to grasp the battered police frame with one arm, dangling it in the air like a rag doll.

Aria bit her lip and felt her stomach lurch uncomfortably. She reluctantly watched the Knightmare jerk violently as the drill hidden inside the Toccata's palm forced its way through the frame's torso, reaching its cockpit and splattering the blood of its occupant around as it reached the opposite end.

That wasn't enough for Ludo, of course, who proceeded to tear off the cockpit cover – and a sizable chunk of the torso with it – using his other arm. In another swift and fluid motion, the hulking Toccata smashed the remains into the ground several times, backing away just enough to avoid the shockwave from the mutilated frame's explosion.

Aria hastily turned away to see the third Knightpolice unit, which already had gotten both of its arms severed by the slash harkens on Demitri's Cantata. Demitri himself was skating circles around his opponent, sending burst after burst of bullets into the frame's torso. Finally, as the crippled frame tumbled to its knees, Demitri sent the last burst into the unarmored cockpit, killing the pilot instantly.

In the distance, obscured by the black chaff smoke, lied the fourth unit, its head having been blown off at the very beginning of the battle by the Cantata's sniper rifle. Seeing the rest of his squad get massacred in the span of about a minute, the pilot could do nothing but let survival instinct take over his actions, forcing him to eject. The cockpit block did not get very far, however, as the shoulder pads on the Cantata flipped up to revealing twin missile launchers, unleashing a pair of heat-seeking missiles and subjecting the Britannian to a fiery demise.

Needless to say, there wasn't much left of the man after they caught up with the ejected remains - save some scattered, burning debris.

Aria sighed and returned her attention to the pilot of the commander unit, who by now had managed to climb out of the disabled Knightmare's cockpit in a futile attempt to escape with his life.

Steeling herself and reminding herself of her sworn duty to Prince Abraxas and the Arcadian flag, she pointed the machine gun on Sonata's left arm towards the running figure and fired a very short and precise burst, finally silencing the opposition in its entirety.

"_Excellent work__,"_ came the voice of Vincenzio as the White Roses' Knightmares returned to the hangar of the Calypso._ "Not even a word got out to the Britannians, and the wrecks appear relatively… erm… normal, I suppose. Report to His Highness as soon as you're ready."_

Exiting the hangar, Demitri and Ludo both glanced back at Aria, who was standing on the edge of the deck in an awkward position, clutching her stomach and pressing against the nearest wall.

"_And you'll be rea__dy as soon as Aria finally understands why she should wear the damned pilot suit – because the load factor is quite a nasty thing to deal with when you play circus acrobat with your Knightmare."_

Aria grimaced, and was about to make a comeback when her stomach twisted again, silencing her.

"Nah, this wasn't fun enough," Ludo remarked to nobody in particular. "Just four random idiots who thought they could shout at His Highness himself to leave."

"Honestly, not many would agree on your idea with fun," Demitri chided, rolling his eyes. "It's bad enough that children in Arcadia know you as 'Mister Blood and Guts'."

"Oh come on, do you want me to play pacifist like her?" Ludo shot back while tipping his head in Aria's direction. The blonde in question had finally regained her composure and approached them.

"Pacifism and efficiency are different things, you twit," she snapped angrily.

"Well my definition of efficiency is when my Knightmare's fists are the same color as the rest of it," was Ludo's sadistic response. The three pilots shifted their gaze to the fingers of the Toccata's left arm, the blood from its rampage serving as a near identical paint job in comparison to the rest of the Knightmare.

Aria covered her mouth in disgust and hurried back to the edge of the deck.

"You know," Demitri sighed, with a slight frown on his face, "she's right, you're never going to get a girlfriend at your rate."

The Calypso would continue its excavation through most of the night, the smoldering remnants of Britannian Knightpolice resting in the background.

_**Author's Note: **Does anyone even read this anymore? I suppose I'll find out. Dohoho. Also, please give your thanks and patronage to cHiMer, whose knowledge and creativity regarding general mecha information is vastly superior to my own, and who has been a tremendous help in forcing this along (in more ways than one).  
_


End file.
